Health officials of the State of Maryland has reported its first fatality from West Nile virus this year, as the rest of the United States has seen record-high cases.

The disease is spreading faster compared to previous years, partly due to a mild winter and several spring rains that allowed mosquitoes to breed earlier.

Maryland officials did not reveal details about the victim such as age, gender, place of residence, or whether the victim had underlying medical conditions. They only indicated that the victim was an adult.

The state has had 13 human cases of West Nile since July 1, two of which were in the capital area. All patients were adults. Statistics of Maryland’s West Nile virus infections varied during the past years, from 19 in 2011, 23 in 2010, peaking in 2003 at 73 human cases.